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The site was identified as important in 2015 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum	EN	breeding	2012-2013	40-120 individuals	A1
Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus	VU	resident	-	present	A1
Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus	VU	resident	-	present	A1
Denham's Bustard Neotis denhami	NT	resident	2010-2014	present	A1
Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus	NT	resident	-	30-40 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius	EN	resident	2012-2013	6-10 individuals	A1
Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus	EN	resident	2012-2013	4-8 individuals	A1
Southern Ground-hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri	VU	resident	2012-2013	10-15 adults	A1
Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea	EN	breeding	-	present	A1

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2015) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2015. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Striped Flufftail Sarothrura affinis	15	15	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Corncrake Crex crex	50	50	individuals	100	favourable
Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum	30	30	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus	2	3	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus	40	3	breeding pairs	8	very unfavourable
Denham's Bustard Neotis denhami	15	15	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus	40	75	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Black-winged Lapwing Vanellus melanopterus	100	100	breeding pairs	100	not assessed
African Grass-owl Tyto capensis	30	30	breeding pairs	100	not assessed
Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius	5	5	breeding pairs	100	not assessed
Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus	3	3	breeding pairs	100	favourable
African Marsh-harrier Circus ranivorus	5	5	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Southern Ground-hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri	15	15	individuals	100	favourable
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus	20	20	breeding pairs	100	not assessed
Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea	55	33	breeding pairs	60	unfavourable
Yellow-breasted Pipit Hemimacronyx chloris	80	80	individuals	100	favourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Grassland	very poor (< 40%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Residential and commercial development	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Pollution	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Energy production and mining	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	No management planning has taken place	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1967	Soada Forest Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
2001	Minerva Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	1
2010	Roselands Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Forestry & agro-industrial plantations, Improved pasture land and wooded farmland	96
Unknown		2
Forest	Lowland forest - mondom moist evgn & semi-evgn	1
Grassland	Grassland - montane	minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
water management	85
nature conservation and research	10
urban/industrial/transport	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: KwaZulu-Natal Mistbelt Grasslands (South Africa). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kwazulu-natal-mistbelt-grasslands-iba-south-africa on 25/11/2024.